What’s Your Approach for Song Writing?

“Create like a Child, and then edit like a Scientist.” I have never heard a better approach for songwriting, or any kind of art form for that matter. When followed correctly and diligently, this workflow allows us as artists to capture our most creative moments and organize it in the most effective way possible.

It’s far too clear when an artist is only doing one of the two things. If you were to only create like a child, the work may be jam packed full with creative ideas but it would be nearly impossible for people to make scene of it. On the flip side, if you write your songs with scientific precision only, it will end up being uninspiring, uncreative, and will not stand the test of time.

The trick is to find just the right balance. Music, as with all other arts, is a conversation between the heart and the head. Sometimes we have to break the rules because our work demands it. Other times, we need to painstakingly question, scrutinize, and edit the content. It’s a process of fun and work, pleasure and pain, tension and release. Just like working out a muscle, we too are working out our “song writing muscle.”

Another huge part is making sure we are writing consistently and not relying on the excuse “when I feel like it.” Think about how frustrated a person trainer would be if his trainee only worked out when he felt motivated. The best moments of inspiration come during the work not before it. We cannot always sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. Sometimes we have to work for it.

It’s my job as the producer to inspire, encourage, and put together something of substance. As I spoke about last week, the songs are crucial for the quality of the album. This is why I always try to make sure every artist I work with understands this concept. They have to be able to create something as innocently as a child, and not only making sense of it after but put it together in the best way possible.

Next week I’ll be going into more detail about what it means to really create like a child.

Now let’s go out and do something that matters.

-Barrett